Health extension staff recruited under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) in Asunafo North Municipality have threatened to embark on an industrial strike if their nine months salary arrears are not paid to them by next Friday.

This was contained in a petition to the Municipal Chief Executive, copied to the office of the NYEP Co-ordinator, Municipal Director of Health Services, Health Services Administrator and Director of Nursing Service at the Government hospital in Goaso, and the GNA.

The petition said on December 28, last year, the workers were paid three out of 12 months salaries with the promise that they would be paid the remaining salaries by the end of January this year.

The statement said that efforts made to get the arrears paid had proved futile, and appealed to the authorities to pay their salary arrears.

It said: “We want the authorities to show sensitivity on the matter and take the necessary steps to ensure the payment of the arrears immediately to avoid any unpleasant situations.”

In another development, Heart Foundation, a united States-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with Mr George Yaw Boakye, Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo South, has donated medical equipment worth 300,000 US dollars to the Asunafo South District Directorate of health Services.

The equipment included theatre tools, first aid materials, disposable materials, delivery beds, ENT tools and orthopedic machines.

The presentation followed an appeal made by Mr Boakye on behalf of the NGO to the Foundation, when he visited to the United States last year.

The MP said the Foundation, which organised a two-week free medical screening in the district last year, would sustain the exercise this year.

Mr Boakye said he took the initiative because after touring the constituency, he realized that the people, who are mostly peasant farmers, lacked access to health care.

Receiving the donation, Mrs Wilfred Tienna, District Director of Health Services, thanked the MP and the NGO for the gesture, and promised that the equipment would be used for the intended purposes